Beer of the Weekend #475: Rebel Kent The First

The beer tonight is an interesting little ale, at least in name: Rebel Kent The First, brewed by the 3 Sheeps Brewing Company of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.


Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is hazy amber with a ruby/grapefruit tint. A finger of eggshell-colored head left a spotted skim, ring around the edge, and a little lacing along the glass.

Smell: While allowing the beer to warm in the glass, I could smell a fusion of caramel, toffee, and cocoa from about three-quarters of an arm’s length away. Up close it smells a lot like a British pale ale: lots of toffee, caramel, toasted malts, molasses, rye bread, and grass. Needless to say, it is very inviting.

Taste: Much spicier than I was expecting. The rye is really powerful. The beer’s website mentions Belgian yeast and I’ll go with it (what the heck?). Underneath and overshadowed are caramel, toffee, bready toasted malts, and grass. I do not pick up any molasses, though. There are hints of honey and fruity esters, though.

Drinkability: Though it is flavorful, I was expecting something different from the aroma. I wanted a rich, malty, British-style pale ale. But whatever. It is what it is — which is pretty tasty and drinkable.

Fun facts about RKTF:

-Style: American Amber Ale.

-Price: $1.69/bottle at Otto’s Elm Grove Liquors in Elm Grove, Wisconsin.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.

-IBU: 13.

-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage that kind of, maybe, sort of offers an explanation for the name:

Second cousin to the Earl of Sandwich, these two loved trying to one-up each other with their unconventional combinations. While the Earl is best known for combining meat and bread, Kent thankfully went another direction and created a unique amber ale.

-I have never been to Sheboygan. I just thought I would let everyone know that. Wisconsin is definitely a state I should spend more time exploring. (I should probably exploring with the state I call home, first. Except for driving through it on Interstate 80, I have never explored the western part of the state. At some point I should check out the Loess Hills.)


The Quiet Man’s grade: B.

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